Customer Gallery: Screencast Library
If you’re looking to improve your skills in anything Mac-related, be sure to check out Screencast Library. 
This helpful site provides a variety of free video tutorials once a month for non-members, and weekly HD video tutorials for their members. Their tutorials range from basics, such as the recent “Mac OSX basics” video to more in-depth topics such as how-to’s and tutorials for iPad, GarageBand, Photoshop and Final Cut, among many others.
The great thing is they use ScreenFlow extensively for their tutorials!
I recently had the opportunity to catch up with Paul Gram, Mac lover and owner of the Screencast Libary site. He had some great things to say about ScreenFlow, as well as some tips and insights into how he does his tutorials:
ScreenFlow is one of the key elements that we use in our business. What I love about ScreenFlow is that you can record once, and then export in various forms depending on your audience.
For example, we can record one time with ScreenFlow but export that to three different resolutions for members of Screencast Library and then edit and export parts of the original recording in a completely different resolution for a DVD product as well. Without ScreenFlow , this would be nearly impossible.
Tip
One thing that I do (and recommend) is that I have a ScreenFlow template file that has all of my media elements that I may use already pre-loaded. Things like arrows, pointers, graphics, other shapes, etc. Doing this allows me to always have these ready and not have to import them into each new capture or project.
Process
My process is that I outline our weekly show and then record with ScreenFlow in 5-10 minute increments. I love recording the full screen because it gives you total flexibility in editing.
Once I finish my recoding, I do about 90% of my editing within ScreenFlow . The Command + D (Ripple Delete) hotkey is heavily used!
I then export and finish editing in Final Cut Pro where I add titles, intros, outros, and finishing touches. I initially did all of my editing in Final Cut but ScreenFlow has proven to be a quicker and easier editing process for me.
Using ScreenFlow, we publish a weekly Mac Tutorial show in HD, create and sell retail DVDs, and we also create Screencasts and videos for clients as well.
One other regular use of ScreenFlow for us is creating short, free tutorials that we put on YouTube and our Blog. I LOVE that you can publish to YouTube in HD, right from within ScreenFlow.
My favorite ScreenFlow features are:
1. Definitely the full screen recording that gives you unlimited options in editing and saves you a tremendous amount of time.
2. Speed. ScreenFlow is FAST and reliable. It has never crashed on me and recording, editing, and exporting is faster than any screen recording application on the market (and I have tried them all)
3. YouTube publishing from within ScreenFlow. Saves time!
Thanks Paul and Screencast Library!
8 Responses to “Customer Gallery: Screencast Library”
June 22nd, 2010 at: 9:28 am
I tried the template idea out on my last project and it has worked great. The amount of time spent on the intro and ending has been reduced by half at least.
[Reply]
Lynn Elliott Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:32 am
That’s great Clifford. So, how do you do your template? Do you create a project (with your intro/outro & elements) and do a Save As to create a new project? Or do you do it a different way?
[Reply]
June 23rd, 2010 at: 6:54 am
Hi Lynn,
I’m not sure how Clifford or Paul do it – but here’s how I have done it.
1. Create a new screenflow doc.
2. Add all the media elements you want.
3. Save and put somewhere easy to get to for you.
4. When you create a new screenflow, click on the media tab.
5. Open a new finder window (not in screenflow – the mac finder) Go to your template file and right-click on the file name.
6. Select “Show Package Contents”.
7. Open the media folder.
8. Select all the contents (Cmd-a)
9. Drag them to your media tab in Screenflow.
10. Voila!
hope that helps. and if there’s an easier way – someone please post it :)
Rod
I posted a quick tutorial on my site if anyone’s interested – http://www.navigatetomorrow.com/read-and-watch/web-design/screenflow-template-tutorial
[Reply]
Lynn Elliott Reply:
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:12 am
This is great Rod! Thank you for the detailed instructions and tutorial.
[Reply]
June 23rd, 2010 at: 2:58 pm
Actually – as I was thinking this through today – I have it backwards!
I think the far better approach is to set up a screenflow file with everything you need – especially if you have any standard intro/exits.
So…
1. Create a SF doc with everything in it.
2. Save it
3. Start capturing your new show
4. When you’re done, instead of creating a new doc, add it to the open template doc.
5. Save As a new file (important step)
and there you go.
WAY better approach I think.
Rod
[Reply]
June 23rd, 2010 at: 4:45 pm
.
Bingo!
[Reply]
August 10th, 2010 at: 1:16 pm
We do this outside of Screenflow in a slightly different way:
1. Create an project in SF with all the media in it
2. Save as “template.screenflow”
3. In the Finder, ZIP it
Whenever we start a new project, we
1. Create a Finder folder for the project
2. Copy template.screenflow.zip into the new folder
3. Unzip it
4. Rename it in Finder to reflect the name of the actual project
5. Open it in SF and start the work
[Reply]
Lynn Elliott Reply:
August 10th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
That’s a great workflow Veit. Thanks for sharing.
[Reply]
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